Appliance for broadening human jaws



March 8, 1960 P. GERBRANDS APPLIANCE FOR BROADENING HUMAN JAWS Filed Aug. 5, 1957 INVENTOR.

PETE]? GEPBPF/ZDS United States The invention relates to a device for widening human jaws of the type comprising an adjustable and resilient member which is embedded to form a connection between the two separate parts of which the palate plate is composed.

Dentistry has for years been engaged in research on the idea of widening (expanding) human jaws which have insufiicient space for correct positioning of the teeth either because of deformity or because of a too small periphery.

An object of the present invention to provide a device of the type described, comprising a curved metal strip partially embedded in the substance of one half of the palate plate, with a sheathing fitted around it. The sheathing in turn is embedded in the other half of the palate plate, and an adjustable lock is provided between the metal strip and the sheathing. The curved metal strip has teeth engaging the members of a lock carried in the sheathing engage. These members can be freed and displaced only after the introduction of a key.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing in which like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the figures thereof and wherein:

In the drawing:

Figure 1 shows the palate plate fi'om underneath.

Figure 2 shows a vertical cross-section of the adjusting and lock device,

Figure 3 shows a horizontal section in the locked position.

Figure 4 shows the horizontal section of Figure 3 in the unlocked position.

In Figure 1 the complete palate plate consists of two parts which are connected to one another by a lockable adjusting device for the purpose of regulating the set of teeth.

This device consists of the curved expansion strip 1, which is, for example, partially and firmly embedded in one half of the palate plate, and fits exactly into a sheathing 3, which is embedded in the other half of the palate plate.

The two parts of the palate plate can then be simply displaced by moving the expansion strip 1 out of or into the sheathing 3. However, since the counter pressure of the jaw tends to move the two halves together again, a lock must be fitted between the sheathing and the strip in order to maintain the two halves in the correct position with respect to one another. The construction of the lock is demonstrated in Fig. 2. The curved expan sion strip 1 is provided on one side with teeth 2. The teeth 2 are in continuous engagement with small rods 7 which form the connection to the locking member 4 with the adjusting disc 8, which can be displaced by the atent Q dentist in a transverse direction with respect to the curved sheathing 3, with a suitable removable key, from the locked position to the adjustment position and vice versa.

The locking member 4 itself is a small disc provided on the periphery with fine toothing 5, which in the locked position shown in (Fig. 3) engages in a recess in the wall of the sheathing 3, the wall being provided with corresponding teeth 6. In the locked position, the locking disc 4 is situated in the same plane as the rear Wall of the sheathing 3. In this position the locking disc 4 is fixed and the curved strip 1 is held fast by the small rods 7, which are fast with the disc 4.

The small adjusting rods 7 remain in engagement with the teeth 2 of the curved expansion strip 1, While the ad justing disc 8, which is movable in the bore 10 on the 0pposite side of the sheathing 3, is moved as far forward as possible.

' A suitable key, having for example two pins which fit the holes 9, can be introduced into the bore 10 in order to displace the regulating device, the locking member being first forced backwards in the direction of the arrow A. When the locking gearwheel 4 is free of the sheathing 3, the locking and adjusting members 4, 7, 8 can be rotated with the aid of the displacement key, the curved expansion strip 1 being moved further into or out of the curved sheathing 3 by the small rods 7. When the desired adjustment has been carried out, the locking gearwheel 4 is forced back in the direction of the arrow B, and the device is thus again locked. It is clear therefore that the two half palate plates can no longer be displaced by the patient himself, but only by the dentist with the aid of a profiled key or a similar tool.

It is furthermore clear from the drawing that both the resilient expansion strip 1 and the sheathing 3 into which the strip fits are of curved shape, so that multilateral pressure is exerted on the teeth to be regulated. It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing disclosure relates to only preferred embodiments of the invention and that it is intended to cover all changes and modifications of the examples of the invention herein chosen for the purposes of the disclosure, which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A device for widening or expanding human jaws, comprising a palate plate having two radially separated halves, a curved metal strip partially embedded in the substance of one half of the said palate plate and having a sheathing fitted around it, the said sheathing being in turn embedded in the other half of the palate plate, and an adjustable lock mounted between the said metal strip and the said sheathing, the said metal strip having teeth engaging with members of the lock carried in the sheathing and means to free and displace the said members.

2. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the adjustable lock is displaceable for the purpose of locking and unlocking in the transverse direction with respect to the sheathing and comprises a locking gearwheel connected thereto by small adjusting rods, said means to free and displace said members being an adjustable disc transversely displaceable in a bore in the sheathing.

3. A device according to claim 2, characterized in that said adjustable disc is provided with holes or recesses which serve for the introduction of a key means.

References Cited in the file of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS 

